Frame, bridge, and soundboard for pianofortes.



PATENTED APR. 14, 1903-.

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-0. R. s. J. HALLE. FRAME, BRIDGE, AND SOUNDBOARD FOR PIANOFORTES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 190i.

no MODEL.

rlesses U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLIFFORD ROBERT STEPHEN JOHN HALLE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

, FRAME, BRIDGE, AND SOUNDBOARD FOR PIANOFORTES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,559, dated April 14, 1903.

Application filed February 11, 1901. Serial N0.46,894=. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD ROBERT STEPHEN JOHN HALLE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Lincolns Inn Fields, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with the Frames, Bridges, and Soundboards of Pian'ofortes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the extension of the soundboard of pianot'ortes beyond the line of the upper bridge in the'treble portion of the instrument, whereby an increased resonance in that part of the scale may be obtained.

The soundboard in pianos of ordinary construction is very limited in the treble.

Figure 1 is'a front elevation of a pianoframe, showing the respective positions of the wrest-plank, the upper bridge, and the soundboard, Fig. 2 being a section of part of same on an enlarged scale.

In carrying out my invention as applied to a piano with iron frame a and with the bars underneath or behind the soundboard b I limit my wrest-plank c to the Width necessary to hold the tuning-pins only and carry my soundboard b five or six inches higher than in pianos of ordinary construction, where the upper bridge is on the wrest-plank.

1 construct an upper bridge of suitable metal e, having standards or blocks f at such distance apart to correspond with the iron bars 9 behind the soundboard. I perforate the Soundboards b, as shown, to allow these standards or blocks f to pass through, so that they may rest on the said bars g, to which they are to be firmly fixed, such as byscrewbolts and nuts h t', and may have leaden washers j inserted to deaden any metallic ring, or 1 place the blocks f upon the frame and make the upper bridge 6- fiat. Upon this iron bridge e the ordinary wooden or other bridge is or studs may be fixed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a pianoforte, the combination of a metallicframe formed with vertically-extending integral bars suitably spaced apart, a

wrest-plank secured to the top of the said frame and of a width just sufficient to hold tuning-pins, a soundboard abutting against the wrest -plank and connected with said frame, said soundboard not contacting with the bars of said'frame and provided with a series of openings, blocks carried by the said bars and projecting through the openings of the soundboard, a bridge connected to the projecting ends of said blocks, and a wooden cap for said bridge.

2. In a pianoforte, the combination of a metallic frame provided with integral bars suitably spaced apart, a wrest-plank secured to the top of said frame, a soundboard abutting against said wrest-plank and connected to said frame, said soundboard out of contactwith the said bars and provided with a series of openings, blocks extending through said openings, means for connecting the blocks to said bars, washers mounted on said blocks between the said bars and one face of the soundboard, a metallic bridge secured to the projecting ends of said blocks adjacent to the other face of said soundboard, and a wooden cap for the said bridge.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto'set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLIFFORD ROBERT STEPHEN JOHN HALLE.

Witnesses:

WM. 0. BROWN, IEENEo FRANCO VELKO. 

